Ashley Sampi

Ashley Sampi
Personal information
Date of birth	12 January 1983
Original team(s)	South Fremantle
Debut	Round 14, 6 July 2002, West Coast v. Geelong, at Skilled Stadium
Height/Weight	177cm / 88kg
Playing career^1
Years	Club	Games (Goals)
2002–2006	West Coast Eagles	78 (97)
^1 Playing statistics correct to end of 2006 season.
Career highlights
AFL Mark of the Year 2004

Ashley Sampi (born 12 January 1983) is an indigenous Australian rules footballer who played for the West Coast Eagles in the Australian Football League. He attended Trinity College in Perth, Australia.

AFL career

Recruited by the Eagles at number six in the rich 2001 AFL National Draft, Sampi debuted against Geelong in round 14 of the 2002 season, and played four games including a final in his debut season. Playing as a small forward, Sampi's career has been inconsistent; despite being a regular part of the side though the 2003 to 2005 seasons, he has not reached the heights that were expected of him given his original high selection.

The high point of Sampi's career was his AFL Mark of the Year in 2004 against Melbourne. Sampi was also selected in the Eagles' 2005 losing Grand Final team, but took a major step backward in the 2006 season, losing his regular spot in the team, and only managing twelve games though poor form, and not playing in the Eagle's victorious 2006 AFL Grand Final team.

Sampi's form seems to have often been related to weight issues; during the 2007 pre-season, Sampi was at times required to train separately from the rest of the club to deal with his weight issues, however they seemed to come back under control, and he was reinstated to the main training list. However he failed to be selected for a game throughout 2007 and was delisted at the end of the season. Despite training with Melbourne in late 2007, he was not recruited by the Demons, with a lack of fitness being cited as the main reason. He played for Port Fairy in 2008.

Controversy

Sampi is locked in a paternity battle with his ex-girlfriend Christina Taylor. She claims that her daughter, Ashlyn Isobel (born 27 December 2006) was the result of a planned pregnancy with Sampi. However, Sampi refused to sign the birth certificate or visit the child until it is proven that she is his daughter.^[1]

During 2006 Sampi allegedly threatened his girlfriend and her sister with a knife.^[2]

References

1. Row Leads To Paternity Test For Sampi
2. Eagles star Sampi wanted for questioning

External links

• West Coast Profile – Ashley Sampi
• Ashley Sampi's statistics from AFL Tables